1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments presented herein generally relate to a label holder and method for labeling rack-mounted and/or cabinet-mounted computer system components.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Rack-mounting of computer hardware has become commonplace. Rack-mounting computer hardware allows components to be stacked vertically. These installations tend to minimize floor space (or footprint) required for computer system components. Minimizing footprint may generally allow for optimum use of floor space and/or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) capacity. Minimizing footprint may be especially important for computer system installations where existing facilities are being upgraded, since expanding rooms or buildings may be prohibitively expensive. Additionally, rack-mounting may allow centralization of computer hardware. Centralizing computer hardware may provide increased security of computer systems as compared to decentralized configurations. Centralizing computer hardware may also improve ease of computer system administration as compared to decentralized configurations.
In recent years, the demand for computing power has grown rapidly. This demand for increased computing power has often been met by upgrading or replacing existing computer hardware. Since even rack-mounted installations may be space constrained, it may be desirable to minimize space taken up by each computer system component. Thus, there has been a drive within the computer industry to reduce computer component form factors. A commonly recognized computer industry form factor unit has been developed by which computer system components may be measured. The form factor unit, commonly referred to as a “U,” generally describes a rack or cabinet mountable computer system component having a height not greater than about 1.75 inches. Depending on the specific requirements of each computer component (e.g., cooling, mounting and power requirements), as many as 41 individual 1U components may be mounted in a 72-inch high rack.
Typically, individual computer system components may be named and/or numbered. For routine maintenance or computer system disruptions, it may be important for personnel to be able to identify each individual component of a computer system. For example, computer system administration software may identify a computer system component that has a problem by the component's assigned number. With a large number of components per rack and possibly a large number of racks in a single installation, it may be difficult for personnel to identify the component quickly. To counter this problem, computer system components may be labeled with their assigned name and/or number. Much of the front surface area of each computer system component may include ventilation grating. Applying identification labels to a ventilation grating may restrict ventilation through the component. Restricting ventilation may create a risk of equipment damage or reduced equipment performance due to excessive heat buildup. This concern may be especially true for low U components (e.g., 1U), since the available ventilation area of these components may be substantially reduced as compared to higher U components (e.g., 3U). Thus, an improved method of identifying computer components in a rack-mounted or cabinet-mounted installation that does not significantly obstruct airflow may be desired.